Mystery surrounds death of woman who hanged herself in Horwich flat

THE reasons for the death of a woman who was “full of life” are still a mystery after she hanged herself at her flat in Horwich.

Despite a history of self-harm and drug use, Alannah Hackett, aged 27, had become “a different person” at of the beginning of this year, Bolton Coroners Court heard.

She was looking forward to a holiday with her mother and starting a job at a tattooist’s.

Miss Hackett’s social worker, Emma Nercessian, had seen her on the day before her death, and said she had been “bright and chatty” and really positive.

Her family, including her mother Andrea Hackett, said her death had come “as a total shock”.

She said: “She was full of life and didn’t have a care in the world. We can’t understand why this has happened.”

The court heard that on February 28 this year, Miss Hackett had been out with about 10 friends, including her former girlfriend Shannon Simpson, for a friend’s birthday.

The party ended back at her flat in Beatrice Mews, Horwich, where the 27-year-old was happy and in good spirits all evening.

But at about 12.25am on March 1, she asked the remaining partygoers to leave the flat while she “attended to some business”.

They left the flat, and Miss Hackett walked off in the other direction. She was later seen on CCTV, returning to her flat.

Shortly before 1am, her neighbour, Jamie Holden, took his dog for a walk and saw Miss Hackett’s body in her bedroom.

He alerted the emergency services and tried to resuscitate her, but she was declared dead at 1.07am.

Toxicology tests found that Miss Hackett, who had been detained under the Mental Health Act in November, 2013, had a significant amount of alcohol in her system, prescription drugs and cannabis, which could have affected her judgement, the court heard.

Recording an open verdict, Coroner Alan Walsh said: “I accept that she tried to harm herself in November.

"She was under the influence of alcohol and cannabis which could have affected her judgement.

"But the indication to me from her behaviour was that she was forward-looking rather than negative.

"Her social worker said she was a different person. That is not a person who would intend to take their own life.”